Comming Race is a Fun Read

books:


	• Vril, The Power of the Coming Race Edward George Bulwer-Lytton Borgo Press, 2002 - 204 pages average customer review:based on 8 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Comming Race is a Fun Read

The Coming Race is a great book on many levels. As a story it is well developed and is one of Bulwer-Lytton's best works of science fiction. Also from a historical aspect it is an interesting document to see how the Victorian mind saw the world and what was beyond their horizons. This book had an incredible impact upon the reading public upon its release in 1871 and its influence, as well as that of Lytton in general, is felt greatly in later works of early sci-fi. I especially feel the stylistic influence in Upton Sinclair's "Millennium" and while for a review this is neither here nor there, this is important in understanding the development of the genre.

The book opens up with the main character, an American, being invited into a mine exploration by friend. Within just a few pages of the most basic exposition the story begins. For this genre and being that the terranean characters matter little, jumping into the plot like this makes the reading fun. For a 19th century it reads very fast and before long the reader will be well acquainted with the ways of the vril-ya and "vril" - the power source of the coming race. It really is a fun read.

The only problem with this book is that while Lytton goes through an enormity of steps to describe the culture and idiosyncrasies of the vril-ya the book at times reads more like notes of an anthropologist than a literary novel. Of course this may be the intention and since it is such a quick and enjoyable read, we can forgive the author of this. If you are fan of Lord Lytton or a fan of early Sci-Fi this is a definite read. I also would recommend this book to anyone who like 19th century novels and think this should be included in more high school English literature classes because it does not fit the stereotype and would be a welcome break for many students. While we know quite well that this work is purely fantastical it is really enjoyable to see how the mind of the 19th century saw the possibility of worlds going on underground and it is fun to imagine and believe...

-- Ted Murena

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fantastic

This book was better than I had imagined. It provides a wonderful model for harmonious living and is honest and kind in its assessment of how our civilization has gone awry.

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STRANGE...

Strange how many early science fiction writers spun yarns dealing with an odd subterranean race dwelling within the earth. This was the first, essentially. Such myths, however, are found in most cultures... Tibet, Ireland, South America, native Americans & so on. Bulwer Lyton is a strange writer, & this an interesting read...

Startling and Provocative

From the very first pages Vril hooks and reels you in with its snappy narrative and provocative themes of "grrrl power" and other startling aspects of the vril-endowed subterranean super-race. For a Victorian novel it is astonishingly readable and will reward you with its thoughtful, far-ranging exploration of political and gender issues. Holds up surprisingly well.

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The Coming Race!

_Vril: The Power of the Coming Race_ by Victorian novelist Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton first published in 1871 is a fascinating and bizarre tale of a subterranean world. The novel begins as the narrator, an American, descends into a mine shaft where an accident occurs leaving him stranded in a subterranean realm. There he encounters a mysterious race, in possession of uncanny powers, the ability to fly, the control of automata, and the control of a mysterious force known as Vril. These are the Vril-ya, the civilized race, who constitute a utopian civilization beneath the surface of the Earth. Bulwer-Lytton spends much time expounding upon the culture, the language, the traits, and the religion of this underworld race, which may seek someday to rise to the surface of the Earth again from whence it came. This race has a culture and civilization quite distinct from that of the Victorian world in which Bulwer-Lytton and the narrator lived. There are two sexes, the Ana (or males) and the Gy-ei (or females), but their roles are somewhat reversed with the Gy-ei courting the Ana. In this respect Bulwer-Lytton sought to parody the female rights movement of his time and the ideas of philosophers such as John Stuart Mill. Also, the Ana believe themselves to be descended from frogs, or to be followed by frogs, parodying the ideas of Darwinian evolution. The society of the Ana is entirely aristocratic and free from passion, strife, crime, and war though these notions occur in their history books. The Ana look down upon the government of the many as Koom-Posh. This may reveal Bulwer-Lytton's aristocratic prejudices. In addition, the children of the society serve as guardians until they reach marriageable age. Bulwer-Lytton also discusses the language of the Vril-ya, where he owes a debt to Max Muller to whom he dedicated this novel. This language resembles the Indo-European tongues which were being studied at the time. While in the subterranean world, the narrator (who is referred to as a Tish by the Ana) witnesses the enormous power which the Ana yield through Vril. He watches as this power is used to destroy a reptilian monster who had made off with his friend at the beginning of the story. In addition, he learns much of their customs and society. He also witnesses a funeral in which the power of Vril again is used to incinerate a corpse. Eventually, a certain Gy named Zee becomes enamored of him. The Gy-ei are larger than the Ana and are especially learned. This relationship though is one that cannot be and forces the narrator to make an important decision. This tale is bizarre and offers a unique look into the utopian mindset of the Victorian era. The novels of Bulwer-Lytton came to have much influence on many later writers including such individuals as Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Russian seeress who plagiarized much from his stories. Subterranean worlds have came to be a source of fascination and were incorporated into many of the traditions of the ancient world and of the Nineteenth century.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Bulwer-Lytton is legend nowadays for the qualities of his prose: but we find his prose attractive, in its languid way; and certainly the man was a profound thinker. "Vril" is a mysterious energy used by Lytton's subterranean race -- refugees from the deluge that submerged Atlantis -- to power their advanced civilization. Generations of occultists have mistaken this bit of business for something other than fiction; and still more generations of science fiction writers have recycled the novel's plot. Vril is a book of strong interest to anyone doing a scholarly study of the evolution of SF; it's also a novel well worth reading in its own right.

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